Riku's Light
by FireRoseFanfiction
Summary: Squall's little sister, Rinoa, is left behind when Radiant Garden is taken over by Maleficent. Taken in as a servant, the next nine years are hard. Until the boy with silver hair arrives and everything changes. Hopefully this will cover the entire series, so enjoy! There will be ships.
1. Separated

**(A/N): I know who the real Rinoa is and her relations to Squall, just to clear that up. I'm just switching stuff up because I can, and my Rinoa is different. If they do introduce the original Rinoa, then I'll change stuff :3**

_"Brother! Brother!" The swarming Shadows grow closer to the sprinting duo, Squall's hand clamps firmly on his baby sister's while his other holds a wooden sword._

_"Almost, Rin!" He hopes, never wishing for anything more. Rinoa tries to stop sobbing, the tears running down her face as fast as their pace. The others had to be at the gummi ship docks by now, and there isn't much time. Squall swears to himself that he'll get Rinoa there and stop the dark creatures crawling after them._

_And getting __**closer.**_

_"Eek!" Rinoa shrieks as her foot catches on a torn cobblestone, causing her hand to slip out of her brother's. Squall rips around to see the Shadows already surrounding her, surrounding __**them.**_

_"Get off!" He growls, swinging his toy sword at every bug-like body between him and his baby sister. "Get OFF!"_

_"Squall!" _

_He can hardly make out the pale fingers grasping out for his as the creatures writhe around, more appearing for each one he knocks aside. _

_"Rin, hang on!" A Shadow scratches Squall with a deformed claw to the forehead, causing crimson to seep into his raging blue eyes. __**No, no!**_

_Suddenly, a strong pair of arms grab Squall around the middle, forcefully pulling him away from the mass pile of Shadows._

_"C'mon, kid!" Cid shouts, nearly losing his toothpick in the process of moving the resisting injured boy._

_"Let me go-" Squall can still see Rinoa's hand, and her screams for her big brother to save her._

_"She's gone!" Cid looks at the dark formation, one of too many he's witnessed in the few precious minutes since the Heartless invasion. "You hear me? Time to go!"_

** "**_SQUALL!" It's the last he hears as Cid drags him away and to the gummi ship with two other children. _  
_And the last she sees is the gummi ship escape the **darkness**._  
_Then unconsciousness._

My name is Rinoa Leonhart, and I was six years old when the Heartless brought my world to darkness under Queen Maleficent's reign. Of course, this is what she tells me every day as she demonstrates her power by taking out a poor world. I have no choice but to nod and obey, because she is my Queen and I have known this since having tried to escape for the nine years of **dark**_hell_.

It has nearly been nine years, and with this empty husk of what had been Radiant Garden, I hate to believe it.

My brother and all the friends I had are gone, fled our dying home and left me to the Shadows. I used to wish that he'd come rescue me, but now only a part of me still does. I won't say I've given up, because if I do, Lady Maleficent wins.

**I won't let the darkness take my heart.**


	2. Hollow Bastion

**(A/N): I don't own the wonderful series that is Kingdom Hearts. **

_The tiny girl is alive. She can feel her frantic heartbeat thumping against her chest as she awakens. The Shadows are gone, as well as every citizen. Rinoa trembles as she sits up having been laying on the cobblestone ground for who knows how long. Long enough for a word she never thought could describe her thriving home._

_**Empty.**_

_"Well, well, aren't you special?" A cold woman's voice comes from behind Rinoa, and she dares to turn around. "Not a princess, but your heart is still quite strong."_

_The silhouette of a horned figure steps out of a black portal as Rinoa scoots back in confused fear._

_"W-who are you?" The shadow of the tall draconian woman covers the girl as wicked green eyes look over Rinoa._

_"The Queen." Maleficent spreads her arms with a pleased cackle. "This kingdom is mine now. And so are you, my dear child."_

_Dear child._ That's what she calls out from the main audience chamber that holds her guests. I don't like them, the stench of pure dark and evil always comes off them in waves that makes me want to run. Queen Maleficent has me prepare a tray of appetizers and set it aside, all too preoccupied to pay me much notice. An image created by her magic floats above the table, showing the worlds that are safe. For now, anyway. Worlds that will soon be devoured, just like this one was.

_Hollow Bastion._

A sphere rises above them all under Queen Maleficent's calm gesture. Their next target in search of another princess.  
A world called Destiny Islands.


	3. A Keyblade

**(A/N): Such short chapters!**

_"Are you alright?" The young woman with blue hair asks the same time as Squall who rejoins his little sister._

_"Y-yeah!" Rinoa tries to smile casually as he looks her over. The elder female takes a closer glance at the small brunette child, reminding her of a similar boy on an island. _

_And the one in danger of taking Terra's path._

_"Squall, why don't you get us some sea salt icecream?" Aqua kneels down hands him a munny pouch. Squall, unsure but not questioning, nods and heads off to Uncle Scrooge's stand._

_"What's that? It's pretty." Rinoa points at the key-shaped weapon still in Aqua's hand that had vanished the beings called Unversed._

"_This? It's a-"_

"-keyblade?" Queen Maleficent's expression goes from pleased, to surprised, then back to her casual demeanor in a flash. "How interesting."  
The other villains mutter amongst themselves, no longer laughing as Destiny Islands falls to darkness, or that the princess is theirs. I've never seen them like this, and though I hide any thought of it on my face, my mind still races.  
"That brat got a key?"  
"That light makes me wanna puke."  
"Won't make you look any better."  
"Why, I oughta-"  
"SILENCE!" Queen Maleficent rises and they command in mere seconds as always. I wonder what she's thinking, rather, _planning _now.I can vaguely remember hearing about a keyblade, and someone with blue hair who had one.

"_-keyblade. Someday, you'll earn it, Rinoa Leonhart."_


	4. The Heart-less Princess

**(A/N): Longer chapters are on the way! Though short and sweet is nice and easier.**

_"How far would you go to protect your friends?" Aqua asks Rinoa, much like she had to the younger boy on the island._

_"Really, really far!" The little girl spreads her arms as much as she can. A thought occurs to her and drops them back at her sides. "But I'm not strong like brother. How can I?" _

_"With this." Aqua taps at Rinoa's heart. _

"A strong heart is just as vulnerable with time." Queen Maleficent speaks with fascinated cruelty, those livid green eyes fixed on the boy with the keyblade. He must be no older than me, his spiky hair lightly matching my deep brown, but with pure blue eyes instead of chestnut. He disappears from the orb's view of Destiny Island's remains, but I know Queen Maleficent will be keeping a close eye on him.

And the sleeping princess named Kairi who lies outside of where the others currently reside in pods.

Because she has no heart.


	5. The Silver Stranger

**(A/N):** **Fluff and fun! Took you long enough, Riku...**

_"Brother!" Rinoa squeaks, trying to find her way around in the inky black of night in their home. _

_"Whazzit, Rin?" Squall mutters as he rubs his eye with a fist and yawn. From his bed, he can make out the form of the five year-old at the doorway._

_"I'm scared." _

_Being used to these situations, Squall shifts over to allow her into 'Big Brother Sanctuary', which Rinoa crawls under._

_"Tell me the story again. Please?" Rinoa begs from her spot, nestling in the safety of the covers and Squall's arm._

_And he does from memory. The tale of the birth of the worlds from children and their light, much like them._

_And that no matter how scary the darkness is, there will always be light to guide those trapped in it._

_And to go to sleep._

I see him first.

There's a boy. A boy. Laying on the stone platforms outside, and unconscious because I haven't seen him move since I spotted him. I quickly go down the flight of stairs, hoping to get to him before Queen-

"Where are you going, child?" She speaks rather amused, because we both know that she knows why.

"A-a person. Outside, ma'am." I stammer feeling powerless before her as always.

"Well, let our guest in then."

"I-yes, ma'am." I bow, then hastily make my way out to him.

The boy with silver hair.


	6. Guide to Light

**(A/N): Yuffie would be a boss at hide-and-go-seek.**

_"Nine!...and, um...Ten!" Rinoa uncovers her eyes after having somewhat successfully counted to ten. "Here I come!"_

_Not far away, she spots a friend in pink partially hiding behind a tree._

_"Found you, Aerith!" The older girl fakes surprise with a kind smile as Rinoa cheers in success. Deciding to help the child find the others (especially Yuffie who took the game quite seriously), Aerith closes her eyes and senses for the familiar light of their friends._  
_"Who's that?" Rinoa asks suddenly, and Aerith looks to where she points. A spiky blond haired boy with a scowl leans against a wall. "He looks mean."_

_"He's lost his way." Aerith can see it, the black clouding his vision from the tiny light left in his heart. "Darkness will consume him in time if no one helps."_

_"How do we help?"_

He's still laying on his back when I finally reach the platform. The other boy from the island, the one who exchanged his keyblade for the darkness. I glance back up to the castle where Queen Maleficent looks over us. Of course she's interested in him, the darkness taking hold in his heart. With that and the keyblade, there's nothing good that will ever come from this. To him.

"I'll help you. Don't worry." I whisper, though Queen Maleficent can't hear me and neither can he. Carefully, I lift an arm and place it over my shoulder as his body weight shifts limp against me. Queen Maleficent's gaze follows us as I carry him up to the castle.

"A spare room will do. Keep him company until he awakes. We have much to...discuss." She orders as we pass. The castle, every room once filled with the royal family are empty, but I know she means by mine.

_Someone who's been outside this world will be next to my room._

She's planning something, but I've got one of my own.

**I won't let the darkness consume him.**


End file.
